The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 261

a people devoted to righteoUBDess. Viewed eternity (see on eh. xvi. 60 : and comp. Gen. in this light, their oom land 'was first xvii. 7: lee.. lv. 3; Jer. xxxii. 40): which Canaan, in eo far as after the exile it was guarantees the continuance between him cleansed from idolatry: now it is those and them of undying friendship, conjoined portions of the earth in which the Christian with the bestowment on his pa.rt and the Church has been planted, so for as these are enjoyment on theirs of the highest social influenced by the holy principles of religion; and religious blessings. First, national finally, it will be the new heavens and existence and secure possession of the soil. tl,e new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous- I will place (literally, give) them, either to ness (comp. eh. x:niv. 24; xxxvi. 24). their land, as in eh. xvii. 22 (Srnend), or Ver. 23. -The dwelling-places wherein to be a nation (Keil), or perhaps both they have sinned, from which Jehovah (Kliefoth). Next, steady increase of popu- promises to save them, are in acoordance lation- I will multiply them (comp. eh. with the views expressed above, not, as xxxvi. 37; Lev. xxvi. 9). Thirdly, per- Hengstenberg and Hitzig conjecture, the petual r€sidence of Jehovah amongst them, dwelling-places of the exile in which the I will set (or, give) my se.notne.ry (mikdashi, people then were, but the dwelling-plaoes conveying the idea of sanctity) in the midst in Cana.an in which they had formerly of them for evermore (comp. Lev. x.xvi. 11): transgressed, bnt would iu future be pre- my tabernacle (misllkani, the idea being that served from transgressing. The idea is, as of residence or dwelling) e.lso shall be with Schroder suggests, the localization of trans- them; or, over them-the figure being dcriven gression which is viewed as proceeding from the elevated site of the temple, which from the dwelling-places in which it is overhung the city (Ps. lxix. 29), and in- committed; or, according to Plumptre, the tended to suggest the idea of Jehovah'a conception is that, as their habitations had protecting grace. That this promise was formerly been contaminate<l by their detest- in part implement~d by t!,e erection of able things, "the worship of tcraphim and the second temple in the days of Zcrub- such like, if not worse," so Jehovah would babel may be conceded, and also that save them from that conte.mine.tion. The Ezekiel himself may have looked forward proposal to alter the text by the trans- to a literal restoration of the sanctuary: position of a letter,convertingmoshbhothehem, bnt its highest realization must be sought "d welling-pla.ces," into meshubhotllehem," de- for, first in the Incarnation (John i. 14), fections," as in Jer. iii. 22 (comp. eh. x:nvi. next in God's inhabitation of the Church- 29), tbongh adopted by some ancient ver- through the Spirit (2 Cor. vi. 16), and finally sions and favoured by Ewe.Id and Smend, in his taberne.cling with redeemed men in ie not necessary. the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. xx:i. 3, 22). Ver. 25.-The phrase, my 1ervant David The last blessing specified is the intimate (comp. eh. miv. 23, 24; Jer. xniii. 21, communion of God with his people, and of 22, 26; Ps. 1.xxviii. 70; J:nxix. 3, 20: them with hirn-Yea, I will be their God, cx:liv. 10), goes be.ck to the Messianic and they shall be my people. This, which promise of 2 Sam. viL 12-16, and cannot be formed the kernel of the old covenant with satisfactorily explained as signifying the Israel (Lev. xxvi. 12), became the essence Davidic house (Smend), or as pointing to of the new covenant with the Israel of the " e. line of true rulers, each faithfully repre- restoration (eh. xi. 20; xxxvi. 28; Jcr. x:xx. eenting the ideal David as the faithful 22; :nxi. 33: xxxii. 38; Zech. viii. 8; xiii. Ruler, the trne Shepherd of his people" 9), but only e.ttainncl to complete realization (Plumptre, on eh. x.xxiv. 23), inasmuch as in the relation of Christion believers to the Israel, after Ezekiel's de.y, never possessed Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. any such line of rulers, ancl certainly no vi. IG). such line continued for ever. 'l'he only Ver. 28 describes tho ell'oct which snob feasible exegesis is that which uu<lerstands a g-lorious transformation of Israel's cha- JehovaL'e servant David to be Messiah, or racter and condition, should produce upon Jesus Christ, of wbom the writer to the the heathen world. They should recognize Hebrews (i. 8) says, "Thy throne, 0 God, from his presence Bmongst his people, is for ever and ever." symbolized by the establishment in their Vere. 26, 27. - With the people thus midst of his EanctuBry, that he had both gathered (ver. 21), united (vcr. 22), purified the power e.nd the will to sanctify them, (ver. 23), and established under the rule of by mukiug them inwardly as well as out- Messiah (ver. 25), Jehovah makes a cove- wardly holy; and, recognizing this, they nant of peace (see on eh. xx:xiv. 25; and would seek admitt1mce to the oongrege.tion comp. Ps. lx:nix. 3), further characterized and fellowship of God's spiritual Israel. as an everlaeting oovena.nt; or, co11enant of OH. xxxvn. 1-28.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 269